Here are my recommendations for Day 9 of the 2017 Steam Summer Sale

After a few weeks of teasers, rumors, and wild theories the Steam Summer Sale has now finally arrived, bringing with it a ridiculous amount of discounted games. However, while that is certainly a good thing, it is not exactly easy to choose only a couple of games when you have thousands upon thousands strewn before you.

In an effort to help out with this little 'problem', and also showcase some great games you might not have otherwise even looked at, I have devised a brief list consisting of five games you should consider grabbing on Day 9 of the 2017 Steam Summer Sale. Without further ado, let's begin:

When it comes to games that are capable of devouring your life the Civilization series is at the very top of the list. It offers a myriad of playstyles that are all equally as good, an insane amount of decisions and paths to choose from, and enough differences between the factions to make them unique and interesting. When it first launched Civilization 5 had quite a few issues and problems with missing content, but after two expansions and a billion DLC its well worth playing for any fan of strategy games.

Papers, Please is one of the most bizarre games I've ever played, but so brilliant in its execution that I simply couldn't stop once I started. The gameplay is absolutely atrocious in the sense that you'll spend all of your time messing around with badly filed paperwork and stupid laws, but instead of being a flaw all of this ties perfectly into the story. You're not here to save the world, you're just a mundane clerk on a border pass struggling to do his job well while constantly worrying about his starving family. So if you want a game that will show you how easily one's morality slips away when times are hard, make sure to give Papers, Please a try as it is just brilliant.

Continuing on with the theme of strange games we have Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, a cart racing game where the fastest being in the universe drives around in a small car. Given the premise you wouldn't expect this to be anything more than a cheap cash-in, but in reality Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the very best cart racers ever made. All of the maps are full of interesting routes to take and obstacles to overcome, the characters are great and have enough differences between them to make things interesting, and the advanced AI is so good it doesn't need rubber-banding in order to crush you! So if you're up for an amazing cart racing game I would recommend putting aside your reservations and giving Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed a try.

FTL: Faster Than Light is a seemingly simple roguelike, but beneath the colorful ships and ridiculous storylines lies a whole world of danger and opportunity. You'll have to carefully choose which systems to upgrade, which areas to visit and who to help, and most importantly of all, how to survive battle after battle with a tiny crew. Much like any roguelike FTL will occasionally destroy you just because you had a run of bad luck, but in general it is your skills and abilities that will keep you alive through hell itself, and that is something I can always appreciate. So if you're up for a charming albeit incredibly difficult roguelike you should probably give FTL a look as its one of the best.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a complex open-world RPG that will truly make you feel like you're exploring a land filled with monsters and excitement at every turn. Almost every single enemy you'll encounter will require special tactics to defeat, and almost every single quest you undertake will be a lengthy and dangerous affair, but that's exactly what makes Dragon's Dogma so great. All of this also makes the quests unique and memorable, because even though the objectives themselves might not be anything special, the journey definitely is! So if you're up for a challenging RPG that will reward you for preparation and cunning, make sure to give Dragon's Dogma a look.

And there you have it, these are all of my recommendations for Day 9 of the 2017 Steam Summer Sale. I'll be back tomorrow with a new batch of games, but until then I would definitely suggest you browse through the store yourself as you're bound to come across a couple of hidden gems I might have completely missed.

If you're interested in some more suggestions from your's truly, however, you'll find links to all of the other days right below: